Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine division of household labor among younger married couples (N=210) by focusing on differences according to gender and parental status. Participants on average hold egalitarian attitude towards gender roles but women hold significantly more egalitarian attitude than men do. On the other hand, the actual distribution of household labor between men and women is mostly traditional. Women more often undertake total and routine housework than men and men more often undertake occasional housework than women. There was a significant interaction in routine housework between gender and parental status. Women with children more often undertake routine housework than both women without children and men generally. Men undertake the same amount of housework regardless of their parental status. Further, men and participants with children have shown more traditional compatibility of traditional attitudes and traditional housework distribution than women and participants without children. Women and participants without children have shown more discrepancy between attitude and distribution of routine housework, mostly due to egalitarian attitude but traditional housework distribution. In conclusion, the results demonstrate mostly traditional distribution of household labor among couples in our sample which becomes more pronounced among couples with children.